UPDATE: Seinfeld’s 1996 Porsche 911 Targa brought $164,000 at auction and garnered 46 bids.
Jerry Seinfeld is one of the world’s most famous Porsche enthusiasts, and now you can own one of the cars from his collection: a 1996 911 Targa he bought while working on Seinfeld. There’s not much time left to get it, though. The Bring a Trailer auction ends today – Wednesday, January 10 – at 3:28 PM.
If you read the listing on BaT, there’s no mention of Seinfeld. However, the comedian discussed the sale when he was a guest on the January 10, 2024, episode of Spike’s Car Radio.
Even without the celebrity connection, this 911 would still be special. The Targa body is relatively rare, with stats from the enthusiast forum Rennlist showing worldwide production of 4,583 units for this generation. Rather than the earlier removable roof panel, this iteration has a large glass panel that slides underneath the rear window. The result is like having a massive sunroof.
Seinfeld checked quite a few option boxes when he ordered this 911 Targa. He specified sporty things like stainless steel oval exhaust pipes and the “engine sound package,” which included a modified airbox. The car also featured the available limited-slip differential and what Porsche called the “automatic brake differential,” which was a form of traction control that used the anti-lock brakes to slow a slipping wheel.
Seinfeld also ordered quite a few technical upgrades, including cruise control. The car received a Becker cassette stereo and a six-disc CD changer, which hides under the hood. He also got upgrades for the amp and speakers. The optional on-board computer is quaint by modern standards, with a display below the tachometer offering outside temperature, a digital speedometer, a trim odometer, average speed, average mpg, and distance to next fill-up functions.
Factory upgrades to the cabin include a pair of eight-way, power-adjustable seats, an aluminum shift knob, an aluminum parking brake lever, chrome rings around the instruments, stainless steel sill plates, and Midnight Blue leather upholstery.
All 993-generation 911 Targas came with a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter flat-six engine making 282 horsepower. Seinfeld’s has a six-speed manual gearbox, but a four-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission was also an option at the time.
We’ll update this story with the Porsche’s sale price when this auction ends. Given the provenance of a Seinfeld-owned car and the impressive list of options, this car could entice many enthusiasts to place a bid.
